Privacy Policy
The Electricity Distributors Association (EDA) respects your privacy and is committed to the accuracy, confidentiality, privacy and protection of your personal information.
This Privacy Policy:
- Describes the types of personal information we may collect, how we use that information, and with whom we may share it.
- Describes the measures we take to protect the security of the information.
- Lets you know how you can reach us to review and update your personal information or discuss any questions or concerns that you may have about our privacy practices.
This Privacy Policy applies to all personally identifiable information about you that is collected, used or disclosed by the EDA, including on any EDA website that links to or posts this Privacy Policy (each a “website”). Personal information means any information that permits an individual to be identified but does not include information associated with an individual in a professional or business manner that does not relate to anything of a personal nature. We also collect aggregate information about you, which does not identify you and is not considered to be personal information.
By using this website, you are consenting to the contents of this Privacy Policy and the Terms and Conditions of Use. If you do not agree, please do not use this website.
The EDA is a not-for-profit corporation. The EDA complies with the privacy protection rules contained in Ontario's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).
What types of information does the EDA collect and how does the EDA use the information?
The following programs and activities describe the main types of information we collect and our primary uses of that information. We may from time to time collect other personal information or use the information that we hold for other purposes. If we do so, we will notify you and, as appropriate, obtain your consent:
Evaluation, Measurement, Verification and Research: the EDA uses personal information obtained from you to assess its own programs and to produce reports. Personally identifiable information collected in connection with these activities is not shared with any third parties except as noted in this Privacy Policy.
Website: On our website, we collect personal information that may be provided by you in connection with your participation in a program such as your
completion of an application form, when you subscribe to online publications or otherwise voluntarily provide such information.
Personal information collected from you may be combined with information from other EDA services to provide a better user experience,
including customizing content for you.
For more information on the information we collect through your use of our website, please see
“
What types of information does the EDA collect when I visit the website” and
“
How does the website use cookies and other tracking technologies”.
• Communicating with you: We may use your personal information to contact you about our current and future programs, including evaluation, measurement, notification and market research. We may also use your information to assess your future needs and to contact you regarding services, programs and products that may be of interest to you.
• Other uses of information: In addition, we may use your information for program audit and archival purposes, for security purposes, for research and analysis to operate and improve EDA technologies and services, and otherwise as may be permitted or required by law.
What types of information does EDA collect when I visit the website?
In general, you can visit the website without telling us who you are or submitting any personal information. However, we and/or our service providers collect IP (Internet protocol) addresses from all visitors to the website and other related information such as page requests, browser type, language, operating system and average time spent on our website. This information is used to help us understand our website activity, and to monitor and improve the website.
How does the website use cookies and other tracking technologies?
Our website uses “cookies”— tiny element of data that our website can send to your browser, which may then be stored on your hard drive, so we can recognize you when you return. Our website uses both “session” cookies and “persistent” cookies. A session cookie is used to identify a particular visit to our site and expires after a short time, or when you close your web browser. A persistent cookie will remain on your device for a set period of time specified in the cookie in order to remember your information and settings over a longer period of time.
You may set your web browser to notify you when you receive a cookie or to decline certain cookies. If you decide not to accept cookies from our website, you may not be able to take advantage of all of the features of our website.
Analytics: We may also use a third party such as Google Analytics to help us gather and analyze information about the areas visited on the website (such as the pages most read, time spent, search terms and other engagement data) in order to evaluate and improve the user experience and the website. For more information or to opt-out using the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on,
see
“
How Google uses data when you use our partners’ sites or apps” and
“
Google Analytics and Privacy”.
How does the EDA notify me why my information is needed?
When we collect your personal information from you, we will tell you why we are asking for it. You may decline to provide personal information to the EDA and/or refuse cookies in your browser, although some of the features or services of website may not function properly without these. If we intend to use or disclose any of your personal information for a purpose other than the one for which it was originally obtained, we will notify you and obtain your consent to this new use. Sometimes you will be asked to give your consent expressly (such as by checking a box or clicking on a web page). Other times we may obtain your consent implicitly by asking you to provide information with stated purposes but without any express statement of consent, such as when you register for an event, enter a contest, respond to a survey or apply to participate in a program. In those cases, your consent will be implied, if you provide us with the requested information.
You may, however, notify us at any time that you do not wish to have your information used for any purposes not identified at the time it was collected by contacting us in any of the ways described at the end of this Privacy Policy.
How long will the EDA retain my information?
We retain your information as long as it is required for the purposes identified when you provided the information or for any new purposes identified by us and consented to by you, and for any appropriate time thereafter, including a sufficient time to permit you to ask any questions regarding its use. Certain information may be retained for longer periods for internal audit or quality control purposes.
Does the EDA share the information it obtains about me with third parties?
The EDA may provide certain portions of your personal information to other third parties, such as your LDC or a technician or contractor in order to administer a program. These service providers and third parties are not authorized by us to use or disclose your information except as necessary to perform services on our behalf or to comply with legal requirements. In some cases, our service providers may be located outside of Canada (for example, in the United States) and so your personal information may be transferred outside of Canada for processing and storage and would be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction to which it is transferred. The laws of other jurisdictions may differ from the laws of Ontario/Canada with respect to the disclosure of personal information to government agencies.
How does the EDA protect personal information?
We maintain administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect against unauthorized disclosure, use, alteration and destruction of the personal information in our possession. These safeguards vary depending on the sensitivity and nature of the information and involve physical, organizational and technological security measures as are appropriate. The EDA requires all of its service providers who collect or process personal information on its behalf to provide security safeguards equivalent to those maintained by the EDA. We caution that Internet communications are vulnerable to interception, use, and/or alteration by person(s) other than the intended recipient. While the EDA has implemented certain safeguards to reduce this risk, internet transmissions to and from the EDA are still vulnerable. If you choose to communicate by the Internet, you do so at your sole risk.
How does the EDA update its Privacy Policy?
The EDA's programs will change over time. This Privacy Policy will be updated periodically to reflect those changes and corresponding changes in our information practices. Whenever we revise this Privacy Policy, we will change the date on the Policy to indicate when the revisions were made. We reserve the right to change our information practices and the terms of this Privacy Policy, and to apply the changed practices to all personal information that we hold. By using the EDA web site or participating in any of EDA's programs, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy as stated at that time. Any future access to the EDA website or participation in an EDA program subsequent to the posting of a revised Privacy Policy will be deemed to be your acceptance of this Policy as then revised. The EDA reserves the right to revise and update this Privacy Policy at any time without further notice. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.
Does the EDA website contain links to other websites?
The EDA website may contain links to other websites that operate independently of the EDA and are not under our control. We provide links to other websites solely for your convenience and information. Other websites may have their own privacy policies, which we suggest you review if you visit any linked websites. The EDA is not responsible for information that is provided by, or collected through, those websites or for any other use of those websites.
How can I review and update or correct my personal information?
The EDA will, upon written request, provide you access to your personal information and an opportunity to request that the EDA update or correct your personal information that is demonstrated to be inaccurate. Upon written request, you may review any of the information that we have on file about you and you may also learn how we have used it and to whom we have disclosed it. This right is subject to certain exemptions under FIPPA such as when disclosure would reveal someone else's personal information or when the information is subject to legal privilege. If you wish to review, update or correct your information, you may do so by contacting us using one of the options provided below.
How can I contact the EDA?
If you would like us to update or correct your information, or if you have any questions or concerns about the EDA’s privacy practices, your personal information or the administration of the FIPPA, please contact us at:
Electricity Distributors Association
Attention: Privacy Officer
3700 Steeles Avenue West, Suite 1100
Vaughan, ON L4L 8K8
Phone: 647-332-5300
E-mail: contactus@eda-on.ca
We will respond to your inquiry or investigate your concern as quickly as possible.
Who can I contact for further information?
If you have any questions or concerns about the EDA's privacy practices, your personal information or the administration of the FIPPA that remain unresolved after contacting our Privacy Office, you may contact Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner at:
Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario
2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400
Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8
info@ipc.on.ca
Telephone: 416-326-3333
Long Distance: 1-800-387-0073 (within Ontario)
TDD/TTY: 416-325-7539
Pour joindre l'agente des communications bilingue, veuillez composer le 416-326-4804